Saturday stock watch: Wichita State asserts itself as a Valley title threat

[jocoshock]

Wichita State sent Creighton a message that winning the Valley won't be a cakewalk.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/saturday-stock-watch-wichita-state-asserts-itself-valley-041342007--ncaab.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

159731091.jpg

[wsushox1]

Five observations from Saturday...

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/73342/five-observations-from-saturday-afternoon-2

3. Wichita State can really guard.

The Creighton Bluejays are one of the nation's best offensive basketball teams. Thus far this season they've averaged 1.20 points per possession on offense, fourth-best in the country. They entered Saturday with the nation's highest 2-point (56.9 percent) and 3-point field-goal marks (45.4). They have a host of efficient role players who can beat you inside and out, and in Doug McDermott they feature not only college basketball's most dynamic scorer but one of its most efficient and versatile, too.

And on Saturday, the Shockers made them look utterly average.

Granted, a road trip to a good Wichita State was always a tall order for Creighton; one doubts Greg McDermott and his staff will come away from Saturday's hard-fought loss -- wherein 46 percent 3-point specialist Ethan Wragge missed two good looks to tie the game on the final two possessions -- all that angry or upset. And in some regard, Creighton deserves credit for hanging in and nearly forcing overtime in a brutal road environment. But it was impossible to watch Gregg Marshall's team guard for 40 minutes and not be thoroughly impressed. The Shockers fought through every screen, bumped every cutter, pressured McDermott early without giving up too many open looks to his cohorts, and grabbed 70 percent of available defensive rebounds. Creighton, usually so ruthlessly clinical, never really found its rhythm.